"Pre-requisite" of being a labor and delivery nurse/midwife-being a mom?

Calinurse4 · Jan 18, 2015

Nope. Some of the best L&D nurses I work with don't have children. It's no different from being an oncology nurse but never having had cancer or an OR nurse that has never had to have surgery. Although I've had children, there are so many different labor and birth experiences my patients have that I could never relate to (Pre-eclampsia, c-sections, no epidural, etc.). I even work with a great male L&D nurse!

klone, MSN, RN · Jan 18, 2015

One of the best L&D nurses who was my preceptor as a student/external/new nurse had never given birth herself (had an adopted daughter). She was wonderful, extremely knowledgeable about labor support and breastfeeding.

klone, MSN, RN · Jan 18, 2015

By the same token, I know there are lots of amazing knowledgeable, compassionate oncology nurses who have never had cancer.

AspiringNurseMW · Jan 18, 2015

Nope. I know when talking to women who are choosing a doula or possibly interviewing a midwife if choosing a homebirth that they initially feel that they would prefer someone who has been through the experience. But ultimately it was personality and aptitude that determined their final decision.

ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 18, 2015

Absolutely not.

I would take the midwife with ten years of labor and delivery experience and no cildren over the new grad midwife with five kids and zero experience working in LnD.

Eta: my OB instructor was a male midwife CNM. I imagine he will never give birth...yet he was very knowl

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2015

Agreeing w/ the others. I've never been shot or hit by a truck, never had a stroke, and never needed BID HBO treatments. It doesn't take away from my ability to provide nursing care to these patients. Most oncology RNs have never had CA. Most NICU RNs have never had a child in the NICU. Our job isn't to relate to our patients based on personal experience; it's to provide nursing care.

OCNRN63, RN · Jan 19, 2015

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guest64485 · Jan 19, 2015

Sure, its beneficial for the nurse to have personal experience as a patient in the area where you work. Having intimate knowledge of what the patient is going through (obviously every patient experience is different) can help you anticipate their needs, questions, and fears. But work experience can generally compensate for that. So, no, not required.

Libby1987 · Jan 19, 2015

Not for L&D. My women's health provider, yes. When I'm dealing with hormonal issues, I want someone who has an inkling. With the mechanics of L&D, just get me someone who knows how to get baby out of me safely and painlessly as possible, I shared my war stories with my besties.

elkpark · Jan 19, 2015

As the old saying goes, you don't have to have had pneumonia in order to be able to treat pneumonia. My specialty is child psych, and I run into a fair number of family members who are surprised to learn (and they only learn if they ask directly) that I don't have any children, and I get some questions (including from some coworkers) about how/why I went into child psych if I haven't had any children of my own. FWIW, I've never had a client family have a problem with working with me because I'm not a mother. In my own observation, not having children can be an advantage -- I've seen plenty of nurses and techs in child psych have their work affected by their feelings about and experiences with their own children. IMO, personal experience with the clinical specialty in which you're working is not necessarily beneficial professionally.

USA987, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 19, 2015

As the others have said, no way. The best L&D nurse I know never had children. There are many ways to connect with your patients that doesn't involve talking about your own birth experience!